Mason32

Hi, welcome to the forum, and thanks for the question.

The airlines do provide hotels to crews on overnights at outstations. They typically do not provide them at bases. There are a few circumstances where an airline will provide hotels at bases, but that has more to do with cancellations due to weather which strands the crew at Base when they would have had a hotel anyway at the outstation if the flight had gone.

A few of the regional airlines had such poor contracts that in some cases crews slept on the airplanes since hotels were not provided. This was going on as recently as this past winter at Airlines such as Mesa.

At the bases, the airlines provide crew facilities which basically means a lounge area where a pilot can sit away from the public a due their manual and policy revisions, check their mailbox, use the computer and things of that nature. Most airlines also have quiet rooms at bases where crewmebers can grab a quick nap between, or before flights.... it is not a hotel, and is not meant for overnight sleep... it's basically just a quiet place to relax.

So, the short answer to your question is NO, the airlines do not typically provide hotels to crew members at their bases.

STILL GROUNDED

This is what needs to go away, consequences of calling in fatigued. There should not be consequences. You can't do it all the time, you can't abuse it but if I call fatigued once a year so be it. The airlines need to have enough people on staff to cover this and not be operating so cheap so the share holders and upper management can make so much/all money.

To the original poster, agreed! Unfortunately the cost of living and the cost of hotel rooms have far out paced the reversing trend of pilot income. If that pilot had a 3 or 4 flight hour day the entire day would be a wash if a room cost him 60-80 dollars assuming he is an FO.

cactusdog16

You are missing the point entirely. The argument of wages vs cost of living is simply a rationalization for putting the people who are counting on you in harm's way. Some hard choices have to be made.

kronan

It is not "duty". When I sit in an exit row seat I am stating that I can be used to help evac the plane, but, that's not "duty" either. When I take my next company scheduled DH to work, well, that's "duty". Company scheduled transportation that isn't local is duty as defined in the FARs. But, even though it's "duty" I'm not skipping the free drinks if I'm lucky enough to be in First Class seating.

"Duty" is any activity my company assigns me. If I'm getting paid, then it's duty.

When I J/S, I am stating that if things go to heck and a handbasket I'm there to help out-if ASKED. I am not there to jump into the duties of the other crewmembers on board.

As to the booze issue, if it's an emergency (which it would be if you as a J/S are being asked to operate an airplane for a company you don't work for and likely haven't had any training in), I would consider whether I've had one drink or toooo much to drink.
Bottom line is can I safely help out, and, what is the alternative. Card carrying ATP pilot whose had one drink, or a minimally trained FA. I'd be willing to go out on a line and suggest I could probably answer the radios even if I'd had 2 drinks.
Just as I could help out even if I was jumping straight home after a long day-might not be legal under the FARs to operate 121, but, there's nothing in the FARs about having sufficient rest to J/S.
And, many of the regional companies are directing their pilots to occasionally operate re-position flights as Part 91 when they would be illegal for 121 ops

newKnow

Cactus,

You worked for Mesa a feel this way? Didn't you have to decide to commute or live in Carlsbad, NM?

cactusdog16

I have always commuted and have always tried to arrive for my trip well-rested. As I said, I have commuted long distances and have never considered the redeye to fly that morning to be a viable option.

It doesn't matter whether you're a regional pilot or a major pilot, Mesa or Southwest or whoever. No one has a corner on the market when it comes to professionalism.

newKnow

Check you PM.

solinator

Thank you sir! And that clarifies it. I presumed from my memories of my grand father being in the military flying warbirds, that pilots were given some place to stay (barracks), a building of their own that the company provides that is more than just a "cafeteria" type place. It sounds pretty tough if you don't live in the base city and you have to show up to work via a jump-seat.

sig598

Crazy thought here...

Positive space to work (or at least a guaranteed flight deck or cabin jumpseat) included in your duty day. There could (and should) be some limitations so people dont abuse the system. (Of course there's gonna be some guy wanting to live in Guam and commute to Scranton.)

Some thoughts on limitations:
--Must live within a 3 hour (or 4 or 5??) plane ride to your base.
--No pay for the ride to work, but no charge either
--The company must know which city is home for you and PS you from that city. If you live in Memphis, then no positive space to work from Jamaica.
--PS only to get to work. Youre on your own to get home.

Also, if you still chose to live in Paris and commute to Orlando, thats fine, but now its all on you. If you cause an accident or incident, then your company can still say, "Well we offer this reasonable commute policy. Its not our fault you were irresponsible."

I dont think this would even cost much. If you commute, then your gonna be riding on your company's plane anyway. And yes, I do commute and have for years.

ImEbee

The difference here is that the crew then goes on rest not on duty again.

BINGO. Home basing may give you more days off a month but be prepared to lose 2 and 3 day trips, not to mention out and backs. Perhaps thats a choice we would make as a pilot group, live in base or home base with 10 day or more trips.